Public Access Now Allowed For One of Lake Tahoe, CA’s Best Backcountry Ski Routes: The Donner Lake Run

One of the Lake Tahoe area’s most iconic backcountry ski tours, the Donner Lake Run, which descends from Mt. Judah to Donner Lake, has lifted access and parking restrictions for the first time EVER, according to the Sierra Sun. This is exciting news for the Lake Tahoe backcountry skiing community whose members have been touring the area for decades but struggling to find legal parking.

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“This is big news for us,” said founder and CEO of SnowBrains.com, backcountry ski guide, and Lake Tahoe local Miles Clark.

For years, anyone wanting to ski down Mt. Judah into the Donner Lake area had to keep in mind land boundaries and accidentally trespassing into private land. But now all this is changing.

Thanks to an agreement between the Donner Lake Woods Homeowner Association, Tahoe Backcountry Alliance, and the Truckee Donner Land Trust on Jan. 19th, the area has lifted access restrictions and has plans to lease a vacant lot at the base of the tour. A designated lot on Washoe Road will serve as public parking for backcountry enthusiasts and will be managed by Tahoe Backcountry Alliance. 

Tahoe Backcountry Alliance will be putting up signs and managing the roads as well as the plowing schedules for the area throughout the winter. For additional information on where to park as a backcountry skier or snowboarder, please visit truckeedonnerlandtrust.org and tahoebackcountryalliance.org.